Weekly Analysis: Brutal Escalation of Violence Threatens Civilian Lives and Undermines Security

May 19, 2025

Over the last week, the military junta has carried out violent acts during its aerial and ground strikes against women and children across the country, including the Sagaing region, where military jets intentionally bombed a school, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 youths. This attack occurred in an area where no fighting was taking place, and no local armed actors were present. In targeted areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) in Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi Region, assaults on innocent civilians have also increased, killing many innocent people, including monks.

A respected abbot lost his life after an artillery shell struck a monastery in Hlaing Kwe village, Kawkareik Township, Karen State. The tragic incident occurred at 10 AM on May 9, 2025, during intense fighting between junta forces and joint resistance groups near Kyon Doe Town. An artillery shell landed directly on the Hlaing Kwe village monastery, seriously injuring the abbot, U Thu Zar Ta, who was inside at the time. U Thu Zar Ta, aged 56, sustained shrapnel wounds to his back and arms. Despite efforts to rush him to the hospital, he sadly passed away while being transported.

Due to the ongoing clashes in Kawkareik and Kyon Doe, most residents of Hlaing Kwe village have fled their homes, leaving only a few monks and villagers behind to care for what remains of their community. Since the fighting erupted on April 14, the situation in the area has worsened significantly. More than 20 civilians have been killed, over 35 have been wounded, and nearly 100,000 people have been displaced, forced to seek safety in increasingly difficult conditions.

The death of U Thu Zar Ta is a heartbreaking reminder of the growing toll that the conflict continues to take on innocent civilians and the deep spiritual wounds inflicted on already struggling communities.

Then, in a separate incident, junta forces launched an airstrike on Win Kan village, injuring three civilians and setting multiple homes ablaze. At around 4:00 PM, a junta-operated Y-12 aircraft dropped five bombs, causing widespread destruction and terror among the residents. Local sources confirmed that three civilians were wounded in the attack. Saw Poe Lin Lin, aged 31, and Saw Nay Toe, aged 18, sustained shrapnel injuries to their heads, legs, and arms. Immediate assistance was limited, forcing villagers to flee under extremely dangerous conditions in search of safety.

Several homes were directly hit and completely burned down in the airstrike. The residences of U Naing Lin Oo, U Maung Ohn Kyi, Oo Poe Yoe, and Ma Phyu Win were entirely destroyed. Additionally, the explosions partially damaged the houses of Hpar Htar Kho and U Khin Maung Htay.

Win Kan village is located under the administration of the Karen National Union’s Brigade No.1 and was previously a quiet and peaceful community. The sudden attack sent waves of fear throughout the area, displacing many residents who now face uncertainty, hunger, and insecurity.

The situation in Kyaik Hto Township has steadily worsened in recent months. HURFOM fieldworkers have documented numerous cases of junta forces targeting civilian areas, including monasteries, schools, religious buildings, and entire villages. Airstrikes have become increasingly frequent, even in areas without active clashes. The destruction of vital community infrastructure has displaced thousands, forcing them to live under constant threat.

According to HURFOM’s latest findings, villagers in Mon State are struggling to survive amidst near-daily artillery shelling and aerial bombardments. The junta’s deliberate attacks have dismantled the fragile lives of civilians, forcing many into the jungles and nearby areas with no basic services such as food, clean water, or medical care.

Regional administrators and local leaders in Kyaik Hto have continued to urge residents to remain on high alert due to the unpredictable nature of the junta’s air assaults. Despite calls for international condemnation and action, the junta’s violence shows no signs of slowing down.

On 13 May 2025, HURFOM released a statement condemning the ongoing violence

against innocent civilians and calling for an urgent response to the widespread and

systematic atrocities committed by the military junta. The latest attack on Win Kan village serves as yet another tragic reminder of the suffering endured by civilians in Mon State and throughout Burma. It underscores the urgent need for immediate protection, humanitarian assistance, and stronger global measures to stop the junta’s ongoing war crimes.

Overview of Main Cases

• Junta’s Militarization Across Thaton District Triggers Mass Displacement in Mon State
Hundreds of civilians in Thaton District, Mon State, have been forced to flee their homes as the military junta intensifies its deployment of troops, heavy weaponry, and hidden patrols along the Yangon–Mawlamyine highway. The growing military presence and widespread fear of human rights abuses have driven communities into renewed cycles of displacement.

• Junta Forces Escalate Brutal Attacks on Villages in Kawkareik and Kyon Doe Townships, Leaving Civilians Dead and Wounded
The situation for civilians in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, continues to deteriorate as junta battalions intensify their assaults across Kawkareik and Kyon Doe Townships. Over the past three days, indiscriminate artillery shelling and drone bomb attacks by junta forces have killed at least two civilians— including a young child—and wounded five more, according to HURFOM field reports and local sources.

• Junta Artillery Shelling and Airstrikes Kill One Civilian and Damage Multiple Homes in Kyaik Hto Township, Mon State
HURFOM has received verified information that junta forces have once again targeted civilian areas with indiscriminate artillery fire and airstrikes, resulting in the death of an elderly woman, serious injuries to others, and the destruction of multiple homes.

On May 10, 2025, at around 4:18 PM, junta troops from the 44th Light Infantry Division Headquarters fired two rounds of 120mm artillery shells.

The shells landed and exploded in the palm plantations of Karawae Seik village, under the Aloo village tract, Kyaik Hto Township. Tragically, a 66-year-old civilian woman, Daw Khin Aye, was struck in the head by shrapnel and died instantly at the scene while she was harvesting palm leaves. Her family’s plantation fields were also heavily damaged.

• Win Kan Village, Kyaik Hto Faces Back-to-Back Junta Airstrikes, Leaving Civilians Injured and Homes Destroyed
In yet another devastating escalation of violence, Junta forces launched a second consecutive day of airstrikes against Win Kan village, leaving two more civilians injured and causing widespread destruction to civilian homes. At around 10:40 AM on May 11, two junta-operated jet fighters dropped a 500-pound bomb and a 200-pound bomb onto the heart of Win Kan village. The explosions directly struck the homes of villagers.